𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐄

|𝟐𝟓| 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭

We were almost a whole two months into online school, and every night I dreaded waking up the next morning more than I usually did.

Monty's was given the okay to open back up, but we only took customers in two at a time and had taped on x's to the floor, all spaced seven feet apart for good measure.

Now that everyone was getting tested, I had an excuse to keep myself confined to my bedroom.

To avoid any possible contact with anyone-more so because every time I see someone, the worst things rush through my mind, less so because of the newfound pandemic—I'd wake up at the asscrack of dawn and go out to buy some breakfast for myself and Kamden (leaving it at his door, of course), get through school, and book it for the outside world so I could get my ass to work.

I was taking up extra shifts so I wouldn't have to be home all day with nothing to do, and since Sky and Allie's parents had decided it was best if we didn't see each other for the time being, I was mostly left to myself-which I didn't mind one bit. It was nice always being in my own little world.

Everything was fine besides the nightmares. They were getting worse and worse by the day--or rather the night, and it had gotten to the point where I had to take my sleep meds to get at least six hours.

Everyone I had seen up close had told me one thing or another about how tired I looked, telling me that I needed to stop overworking myself. But really, it wasn't about me being overworked, it was that my brain was being overworked with images of events I thought I'd done a good job at forgetting.

All of my thoughts come to an abrupt pause when the bell rang as the door opened. I ripped my eyes off of the back wall and turned to look at the person that entered the small fast food restaurant, plastering the fakest smile I could muster up so suddenly.

"No 'Welcome to Monty's'?" He grinned at me from behind his mask, his hands shoved in his pockets.

My once fake smile morphed to a very real one as I muttered, "Welcome to Mony's."

"What was that?"

"Oh, fuck off."

"It's been a minute, Paisley."

"It really has, Aiden," I said in a mocking tone. He chuckled, pulling his hands out of his pockets and adjusting his mask. "What'll it be?"

"Two large fries and one lemonade and one drink of your choice."

I raised a brow. "You sure you're not going to regret that?"

"Oh, I know I am."

I turned so my back was facing him as I called his order to whoever was working in the back. Pouring him lemonade and a secret concoction that I may or may not have slipped ketchup into, I reached for two lids.

"How's the whole online school thing going?" Aiden asked from behind me. I shrugged, turning to face him again as I popped on the lids and placed two straws next to the cups when placing them on the counter.